Wondering what it’s really like to work in the industry? We spoke to four insiders at different stages of their careers to get the lowdown on a week in the world of travel
T Adel Johnson, HR director, dnata UK airport operations
I didn’t know much about the industry before I joined the aviation sector – but there’s a whole world of opportunities. My friend Charlotte’s job was to taste muffins for an airline, sampling the menu options on board – that made me realise you can literally do anything in aviation! In my current role as HR director for the
UK airport operations business unit at dnata – a global air and travel services provider that offers ground handling, cargo, travel and catering services across six continents – I look after 2,700 colleagues, setting the HR strategy and ensuring our people are happy. I started in aviation as an employment law
consultant, and one of our clients was a new airline looking to expand. I then joined another company that was working
MY WEEK IN TRAVEL
MONDAY: 0»SS \Z\HSS` IL PU [OL VffiJL planning out my week and ensuring everything is running smoothly.
TUESDAY:We have a local executive committee so we can plan the week together. Then I might be out at an L]LU[ ¶ MVY L_HTWSL 0 YLJLU[S` ^LU[ [V an Innovation Academy with physicist professor Brian Cox to encourage `V\UN WLVWSL [V LU[LY [OL ZLJ[VY which was really interesting.
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WEDNESDAY: I might go to our cargo facilities to engage with our WLVWSL HUK JOLJR L]LY`[OPUN»Z Y\UUPUN ZHMLS` [OLU OLHK [V [OL JYL^ YVVTZ [V NL[ MHJL [V MHJL MLLKIHJR PKLHZ and suggestions.
THURSDAY: 0»SS IL V\[ HUK HIV\[ attending external stakeholder meetings ¶ 0 OH]L YLN\SHY JVffLL JH[JO \WZ ^P[O V\Y unions so we can discuss and resolve any concerns early on.
FRIDAY: I normally try and make this my admin day to plan for the week ahead – I\[ [OPUNZ JHU JOHUNL 0 JV\SK ÄUK T`ZLSM Z\WWVY[PUN Z[Hff H[ [OL HPYWVY[ ILJH\ZL VM an unattended bag alert or celebrating an PUH\N\YHS ÅPNO[ MVY H UL^ HPYSPUL YV\[L ¶ [OL`»SS ZVTL[PTLZ OH]L SP]L T\ZPJ JHRLZ THZJV[Z HUK WOV[VZOVV[Z ZV [OLZL HYL NYLH[ [V H[[LUK 0»T UV[ Q\Z[ PU [OL VffiJL L]LY` KH` HUK 0 KLÄUP[LS` KVU»[ NL[ IVYLK – I get to do all sorts of things and engage ^P[O WLVWSL ^OPJO 0 ÄUK YLHSS` L_JP[PUN
takeoffintravel.co.uk Be imaginative
with the same airline, where I was senior HR advisor looking after their cabin crew. There were 50 nationalities and 30 languages spoken across the crew, so it really showed the diversity and the environments you could work in. I then joined dnata as HR business partner for Gatwick airport, which involved supporting the
about what you
can do within aviation – there are so many
opportunities I’d never have known about if I hadn’t gone into it
S
staff there, before progressing through the ranks. I love getting to work with so many different people and it’s constantly changing – sometimes there might be a bird on the runway and I’ll get called in to help. If you like the kind of environment where no two days are the same, then aviation is definitely for you.
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